Chapter 382: Seeking the Teacher’s Guidance

Liu You arrived at Gaojia Village with his wife and son, along with three carts of coal.

Had his shop been small, it truly wouldn’t have fit three carts of coal inside. Fortunately, his shop was a spacious building—a brothel, to be exact. He piled all three carts of coal into the private rooms, thoroughly blackening those once fine, elegant spaces.

Just as he was transporting the coal.

Mrs. Liu walked with their son around this new “village.”

She discovered her husband hadn’t been exaggerating; this place wasn’t just a village in size but could rightly be called a town, even several times more bustling and prosperous than Heyang County.

Walking down the street, she was dazzled by the overwhelming variety of goods.

By the roadside, an old woman sold radishes for eight wen per jin. She figured that since her husband now made money more easily, buying some radishes shouldn’t be a big deal. She quickly purchased one jin and had her son carry it.

After walking a few steps, another old woman by the roadside sold cabbages for ten wen per jin. After three years of drought, she couldn’t recall how long it had been since she’d eaten cabbage, so she hastily bought another jin and made her son carry that as well.

A bit further ahead, she saw a fabric shop selling cotton-padded coats. A thick padded coat with a floral pattern cost five taels of silver—which wasn’t actually expensive but the normal price for something only the young masters and mistresses of wealthy families could afford, while ordinary folk shivered through winter wrapped in rough hemp clothes.

Moreover, in this time of great disaster, no one grew cotton, so the cotton cloth price had shot up uncontrollably. Yet, at Gaojia Village, a thick padded coat was still available for five taels.

She thought it cheap in her mind but didn’t dare buy one, pondering that only once her husband earned more could they afford it; he probably needn’t bother, she decided, maybe just for their son.

Just then, a group of children walked down the street.

They were all around ten years old or younger, playing and reciting poems among themselves. One said: “I learned a new poem today, by Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty: ‘Before my bed, a pool of light bright, I wonder if it’s frost aground? Ah? What comes next?'”

Another nearby laughed: “Hahaha! I learned ‘At noon we hoe the weeds, sweat drips on the soil…'”

Mrs. Liu watched these children, about her son’s age, each reciting poetry, and felt a pang of envy. Ah, her child hadn’t started reading and writing yet; now that they had money, it was time to send him to a private school.

Thinking this, she hurriedly asked an old woman selling vegetables by the roadside: “Excuse me, is there a private school in Gaojia Village?”

The old woman grinned, exposing her few remaining teeth: “We don’t have private schools at Gaojia Village, but we do have Gaojia Village School, and all children study free there.”

“Free schooling?” Mrs. Liu gasped in shock. “No tuition fees?””None!”

Mrs. Liu couldn’t stay put. After hearing where the school was, she grasped her son’s hand and dashed toward it.

The school security guard napped by the entrance when Mrs. Liu rushed over, urgently demanding: “I heard school here costs nothing?”

The guard awakened, then grinned broadly. Since Gaojia Village School’s founding, he’d seen many like Mrs. Liu; whenever a new family moved in, if they had children, this exact scene played out.

So the guard handled it like clockwork, rattling off instructions rapid-fire: “Go to Principal Wang’s office on the fifth floor of the teaching tower. He’ll sign you up and place the child in the right grade and class based on his learning. Then, fetch textbooks from the library on the fifth floor. Finally, report to the assigned classroom…”

Finishing the whirlwind of words, he gestured impatiently: “Off you go!”

Women were odd creatures; if asked about other matters, they’d fumble and confuse even left from right at a street corner. But mention their children, and it sparked some fierce energy—they transformed into unstoppable forces, locking down every detail flawlessly.

Mrs. Liu caught each lightning-fast word without missing a beat. Seizing her son’s hand, she stormed off. Five floors flew by in seconds. She swept like a gust into Principal Wang’s office, babbling incessantly until enrollment finished. Then she charged past walls straight into the neighboring library—her running frenzy gusted into Song Xingxing’s research materials, scattering papers everywhere.

Song Yingxing yelled in panic: “Who’s darting around like mad here?”

But as he spoke, Mrs. Liu grabbed the books. She teleported straight to First Grade Class Five, thrust her son toward the teacher, and pleaded humbly: “Sir, my son is slow and dull. I trust you’ll discipline him soundly for any defiance.”

The child stood baffled, holding a jin of radishes in his left hand and cabbage in his right.

Instantly, Mrs. Liu swapped the veggies for Elementary Math and Elementary Chinese books and booted him into the classroom.

Teacher: “…”Mrs. Liu: “I’m begging you, sir!”Teacher: “…”Mrs. Liu: “During the new year or festivals, I’ll visit with presents.”Teacher: “…”Mrs. Liu: “Child, you must study hard to become a great official someday.”Teacher: “…”Mrs. Liu: “My foolishness offends; this ignorant woman leaves now.”

She made to slip away, yet the teacher suddenly spoke: “Madam, hold on.”Mrs. Liu: “?”Teacher sighed gently: “What follows comes from the Decree of the Deity; heed it well.”Mrs. Liu: “???”Teacher said: “Ever wonder why children avoid chatting openly with adults about their views?”

Mrs. Liu’s expression stiffened slightly. “No, please enlighten me.”Teacher continued: “When kids say, ‘This roast duck’s great,’ parents drone, ‘Study hard to afford it grown up.’ If they admire a lovely dress, parents echo, ‘Study to buy nice clothes someday.’ Should they note how imposing officials seem, parents chant, ‘Study now to rise high later…'”

He paused and smiled. “Understand?”Mrs. Liu’s jaw slackened as she sweat profusely.Teacher added: “The Deity commands: Learning matters, but not so much you warp the colorful world around it. Treat this wondrous life with richer respect.”

“I vow to teach your boy well as a good teacher,” the teacher stated. “But you must mother him well too.”Mrs. Liu bowed respectfully deep and low, then walked out of the school grounds.